Skincare – What to Use, When to Use It, and How Often

June 6, 2017

9 min read

I don’t know if it is the Korean in me, just being a girl, or getting but skincare has become a very important part of my life. I have done extensive research into skincare and a lot of personal trial and error. I want to share everything that I have learned about skincare with you!

This post outlines what I have found to be the most common advice online. All of the instructions below have also been personally tested by me, over the course of many years!

Daily skincare To do:

Cleanser

I think everyone knows (or I would hope knows) cleansing your face with a face wash or cleanser is essential everyday. This takes away all of the dirt, pollution, and germs that can clog your pores and make your skin look dull.

Frequency? Morning & Night. You should be washing your face every morning before you put on make up. This takes away any residual oil that may have developed on your face while you were sleeping. Also, you should want a clean slate for putting your makeup on.

It is even more critical that you wash your face at night after you’ve taken off your make up with remover. It takes all of the stuff that has layered on your face during the day like excess makeup, oil from your hands, and pollution from the environment.

Toner

Toner, simply put, is a ‘liquid lotion’. They come in a different variations to best suite your skin type. Toners are mostly used to balance your skin. Have too much oil? Use Toner. Have really dry skin? Use toner.

Some of them have exfoliating properties to help new cells grow. It also gets rid of the dirt, pollution, and little extras that your cleanser could not remove.

Read more about toner here. I go back and forth between this toner during the summer and this toner during the winter.

Frequency? Morning & Night. Toner should be used every time you wash your face. Right after you cleanse and dry, you put your toner onto a cotton ball and gently glide it across your face. This way it is absorbed into clean skin which will promote the active ingredients. You may also notice excess dirt caught by the toner that your cleanser could not clean.

Serum

This is one that has been gaining more popularity since Korean skincare has become more popular. Serum is a concentrated liquid that you apply to your skin. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different formulas out there to fit your skins needs. I like to use one that is anti-aging (MIZON Collagen) or brightening (like this one).

Frequency? Once at Night. The good thing about serum is that it is easy. The one bad thing is that they can get a little pricey. Luckily you only need to use serum once a day but you can apply twice. I highly recommend using it with your nighttime skincare routine.

Moisturizer

Moisturizing your skin after you wash it is vital to your skins health. Your skin is thirsty and needs to keep hydrated. Even if you skip the toner and the serum, you should never skip your moisturizer. This is what will keep your skin looking bright and youthful. It is the best way to prevent fine lines from forming on your face.I’ve tried many moisturizers but I love Night-A-Mins from Origins, Moisture Bomb by Belif, but I keep coming back to Clinique’s Moisture Surge Intense. These have both been great for my extra dry skin.

Frequency? Morning and Night, during the day as needed. You should be using moisturizer every time you wash your face. It is the last step in your skin care routine. It will help lock in and add moisture to your face. If your skin is prone to being dry (like mine) you should moisturize at least once during the day in between washes.

Sunscreen

The sun is terrible for your skin. Not only does it cause irreversible damage to your skin it but it also starts your skins aging process immediately. I know we all want to be tan ladies but please put sunscreen on. Your skin will thank you for it. Now that I live in San Diego, I use Neutrogena’s Dry Touch Sunscreen because it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a white layer n the top of your skin like other sunscreens.

Frequency? Morning and early-Afternoon. You should definitely put sunscreen on in the morning everyday. I know you may not but be in the sun all day but you want to be protected for when you are. Depending on your SPF level or how much sun exposure you plan to get, you should put it on every 2-4 hours.

Vitamins

My friend used to carry around a jar of B-12 vitamins with the label “sexy pills” on it. It was not just hilarious but got the message across. Not only should you take care of your skin from the outside but you should also take care of it from the inside. Your body will have the natural nutrients it needs to keep your skin healthy. I personally take One A Day Women’s because it covers everything.

Frequency? Once a day. You can take this in the form of a women’s health vitamin or a vitamin directed towards your skin. Similar to any other supplement I recommend taking it with a meal so that it will be better adsorbed by your body.

Weekly skincare to do:

exfoliator

An exfoliator is one of my favorite products in my skincare arsenal! Exfoliator (also known as a scrub) removes the dead skin on your face and body. Why is this good? Dead skin makes you skin look dull. By removing the layer of dead skin off of your face, it allows new skin to grow more quickly keep it looking young and youthful.

Frequency? Once every week. Depending on your skin type, you can use exfoliator more then once a week. The instructions should tell you how often you are allowed to use it. I do this religiously with my favorite exfoliator, Vasanti Brighten Up. I usually buy mine from Birchbox, but you can buy a sample off of amazon (here) or the full size (here).

Face Masks

Face masks are every girls best friend. They are a relatively inexpensive way to keep your skin clean and looking clear. They are also a great excuse to just pamper yourself for 15-20 minutes. There popularity has risen so much that you can find them almost everywhere. My favorites are the ones made in Korea, I usually pick them up at my local TJMaxx or Marshalls. You can also find some of my favorites online, here and here.

Frequency? Two-Three times a week. You can use these more than 2-3 times a week with two being the minimum I would recommend. I personally like to use them whenever I get the chance. There was one week I used a different one everyday.

CHANGE YOUR TOWEL

I know this isn’t a skin care product but it is vital to keeping your skin clean. You wash your face because it is dirty and a lot of that dirt will rub onto your towel after you use it. If you keep using the same one the dirt that has built up will go right back onto your skin after you have worked so hard to clean it.

Frequency? Twice a week. Change your towel to a fresh one at least twice a week. If you can, buy some extra hand clothes (like these) and replace them every day.

WASH YOUR PILLOW CASE

This is the same concept as your towels. There will be a build up of bacteria on your pillowcases over time. Everyone has days when they sleep with their makeup on or you don’t completely take it off. It will all transfer to your pillow case as you sleep. Your face is pressed up against it for hours at a time. It is easy for bacteria and particles to transfer to your skin.

Frequency? Once a week. Make sure to do this as frequently as you can especially right after you have transferred any make up or dirt to it.

Monthly skincare To Do:

Bare face/No Make-up Day

I know this isn’t a product to use or something to eat but it is great for your skin. With all of the foundation, highlighters, blush, bronzer, concealer, powder, etc. that we put on our face, it’s good to give it a break. By allowing your skin to be bare and go without make-up, it can breathe.

Frequency? Twice a month. This is the minimum number of times i think you should go without any skin make-up. if you want to wear a little eye liner or mascara, no problem. Just make sure that you are not putting any face makeup.

Facial

If you can afford it I highly recommend going in and getting a facial at least once a month. There is nothing like having a professional help you maintain your skin. With so many different kinds of facials, you can find one that fits your needs. When I do get a facial, I like to go in and get one that cleans out my skin. I have nasty blackheads that I can rarely ever get rid of by myself.

Frequency? Once a month. This is also the minimum amount of time I recommend going. If you can afford to go twice a month, I would highly suggest you go. It is amazing for your skin and they can keep you looking vibrant and youthful.

Conclusion

There you go! Now you know what to have in your skincare arsenal and how often to use them. With this knowledge I hope you take care of your skin and yourself. It will keep you looking good and feeling confident.

Remember this post was based on a mix of research off of the internet and personal trial and error. There is a small chance that what works for me may not work for you. I always suggest grabbing samples and testing them out before investing in full price.

Please let me know if there is a skincare product that you have not seen here. I would be more than happy to add some instructions/details for you.

Happy Skin Caring!

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